PVTIME – On 3 August, South Korean research institute SNE Research issued findings setting out market metrics for global lithium-ion storage batteries over the first half of 2026. Worldwide shipments reached 461.3GW, representing a 71% year-on-year increase from the previous period’s figure of 269.7GW, and demonstrating the industry’s rapid expansion.
SNE Research
The Chinese mainland retained its status as the world’s largest single-region storage market, with shipments reaching 202.5GW. Aggregated output across North America, Europe, and the rest of the world totalled 258.7GW, accounting for 56% of global shipments, which is the first time this share has exceeded 50%. Faster overseas market expansion has reduced China’s market share from 50.5% to 43.9%.
Segment-level statistics reveal that residential energy storage shipments have more than doubled year-on-year and now account for over 10% of the global market. The commercial and industrial energy storage sector recorded 59% year-on-year growth. Grid-scale installations remain the dominant segment at 347.0GW, accounting for 75.2% of total shipments. Residential storage is the fastest-growing subdivision, with shipments rising from 20.9GW to 47.7GW, and its market share climbing from 7.7% to 10.3GW. Commercial and industrial battery shipments have grown from 24.9GW to 39.6GW.
SNE Research
All of the top ten suppliers in the global energy storage battery shipment league table are Chinese-based companies. LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI secure 11th and 12th place respectively. The other ranked manufacturers are CATL, EVE Energy, Hithium, BYD, CALB, REPT, Cornex, Envision AESC, Gotion High-Tech and Great Power. Great Power achieved the fastest growth among domestic businesses with a 202% increase in shipments. Envision AESC recorded growth of 111%, and the remaining listed Chinese battery manufacturers all achieved growth of more than 50%.
Evidence from the first half of the year confirms that the global storage sector has entered a new period of high growth. Overseas demand now accounts for more than half of shipments, indicating multi-regional market expansion. Growing residential-scale demand, steady commercial and industrial uptake, and dominant grid-scale deployment are enriching the range of possible applications. In order to secure competitive advantages within worldwide industry competition, Chinese battery manufacturers are required to advance overseas supply-chain arrangements, localised manufacturing, technical upgrades and brand construction.
Scan the QR code to follow PVTIME official account on Wechat for latest news on PV+ES
